ARLINGTON, Va., Oct., 20, 2005 — Health Communications, Inc. (HCI) today unveiled eTIPS, an online training and certification program for waiters, waitresses, and bartenders who serve alcohol. eTIPS promises to revolutionize how those that serve and sell alcohol are trained. The immediate benefits include prevention of underage drinking, intoxication, and drunk driving.
eTIPS addresses concerns specific to restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, and all on-premise liquor license holders. The program is tailored to cover laws and regulations in the specific state that the participant wants to be certified in. In addition, eTIPS participants view thought-provoking video clips and are asked to assess the needs of their guests from both a legal and alcohol-related perspective. The program challenges users to apply the intervention information that they learned in practical exercises using short video scenes. Participants take a certification exam at the conclusion of the program.
eTIPS training is a self-paced, innovative approach to alcohol server training. The course allows alcohol servers to obtain the training anywhere and at anytime. eTIPS training provides establishments and organizations with reduced exposure to alcohol liability lawsuits, lower insurance premiums, and improved customer satisfaction. By using video streaming and top-shelf technology, the eTIPS user experience is lively and interactive. By developing its own state-of-the-art technology, eTIPS exceeds the expectations that most people have for elearning; eTIPS can be used on a wide range of computers, and HCI can completely control the experience for students and resolve problems directly. "I wasn't convinced we could substitute an eLearning course for standard classroom training. eTIPS makes the server assess and evaluate alcohol-related situations they find themselves in everyday. I was truly amazed by the interactivity and hands-on training," remarked Adam Chafetz, President and CEO of Health Communications.
Health Communications is no stranger to alcohol server training. In 22 years, HCI has certified 40,000 trainers and over 2 million servers worldwide in the TIPS program. There are TIPS-certified people in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and 30 foreign countries. TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) is a classroom-based training program that gives servers and sellers of alcohol the knowledge and confidence they need to recognize potential alcohol-related problems, and teaches them how to effectively intervene to prevent alcohol-related tragedies. With eTIPS, that quality training is now available both in the classroom and via the web. To learn more about eTIPS, visit http://www.gettips.com/eTIPS.html.
Health Communications, Inc. (HCI) was founded by the Health Education Foundation and Dr. Morris Chafetz, founding director of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, HCI offers the TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS), eTIPS, CAST (Certified Alcohol Seller Training), ASSET (Alcohol Sales/Service Education & Training) and customized training programs. HCI is a nationally recognized expert in the field of alcohol server training. Its flagship program, TIPS, was the first of its kind and continues to set industry standards for this type of training. Numerous public officials and government agencies have recognized and endorsed TIPS training as life-saving and critical to the progress made in reducing alcohol-related injuries and deaths.
Contact:
Trevor Estelle
703-524-1200 ext. 357
Email